not having a great deal of experience riding many bikes i base my comparisons on what i have ridden. i took a friends 2002 1200 custom for a ride today and have to say it was considerably slower than mine. it had a stage one done...s&s a/c, jets, basani pipes. one thing different was the huge chopper kit done. i don't think that would slow the bike down to any great extent. i loved the way the bike looks. it is a chopper kit and the front end is way out. it has the peanut tank and a bob tail rear fender. really good looking bike. i'll have to take some pics and post them. i have to say though mine was a hell of alot faster despite the additional miles. and after riding against a softail the other nite and blowing the doors off him, i still have to say...the sportster is fast.........i know there is a weight difference but they also have bigger engines and fuel injection. the more i ride my bike the more i lke it.

davidcar

3rd June 2007, 03:48

If you want power and agility in a HD stick with a Sporty. I have owned a Fatboy and ridden softails as well but for my style of riding the Sporty is the best in the HD range. (Vrod well they are border line jap bike in my opinion)

not having a great deal of experience riding many bikes i base my comparisons on what i have ridden. i took a friends 2002 1200 custom for a ride today and have to say it was considerably slower than mine. it had a stage one done...s&s a/c, jets, basani pipes. one thing different was the huge chopper kit done. i don't think that would slow the bike down to any great extent. i loved the way the bike looks. it is a chopper kit and the front end is way out. it has the peanut tank and a bob tail rear fender. really good looking bike. i'll have to take some pics and post them. i have to say though mine was a hell of alot faster despite the additional miles. and after riding against a softail the other nite and blowing the doors off him, i still have to say...the sportster is fast.........i know there is a weight difference but they also have bigger engines and fuel injection. the more i ride my bike the more i lke it.

ReddTigger

4th June 2007, 11:38

You're probably experiencing the differences between exhausts. Those bassani's are usually straight pipes (with some curve) unless it's the 2-1 version. If you have modified slipon's then you'll not experience the torque dip in the lower RPMS..

Just my 2¢

Vegas1200C

4th June 2007, 13:06

I would think a 2002 would be faster than an 04 because of the weight difference. I know there were some engine mods but isn't it like 40 lbs difference? I would think it would be at least a wash.

bobII

4th June 2007, 13:40

No the pre 04's are much slower than the 04-later bikes. LOTS of engine changes in the 04 and later bikes. Totally different animal. My buddy has an 02 1200 custom. We ran em one time from a stop light. I was bone stock he had the stage one. I was giving up about 100lbs in weight (me 50, bike 50) and I still smoked him by about 1 bike length. And he even got the jump on me at the light. I wheeled a little going into second. It was a blast.

Kodiak

4th June 2007, 13:56

No the pre 04's are much slower than the 04-later bikes. LOTS of engine changes in the 04 and later bikes. Totally different animal. My buddy has an 02 1200 custom. We ran em one time from a stop light. I was bone stock he had the stage one. I was giving up about 100lbs in weight (me 50, bike 50) and I still smoked him by about 1 bike length. And he even got the jump on me at the light. I wheeled a little going into second. It was a blast.

Science at it's best. :doh

bobII

4th June 2007, 14:12

guess I offended you.:rolleyes:

sorry about that thin skin.

next time I'll be sure to drop everything, rent a drag strip, do unbiased individual testing on mulitple bikes and multiple runs and then post my scientific results. Or maybe I'll just post my experiences while you go have some more coffee.

Maybe its me that needs more coffee...too early for this crap...

Bill2

4th June 2007, 16:50

Its mainly the '04 and up 1200 heads, the best flowing hd has ever made. And thats where all the hp comes from.

nesene

4th June 2007, 17:31

ok, now i understand.

ReddTigger

4th June 2007, 17:56

Here is the information from Motorcyclist magazine.

Available here..http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/performancedata/#harley

next time I'll be sure to drop everything, rent a drag strip, do unbiased individual testing on mulitple bikes and multiple runs and then post my scientific results. Or maybe I'll just post my experiences while you go have some more coffee.

Maybe its me that needs more coffee...too early for this crap...

Oh no, you didn't offend me... and you are probably right. But take a closer look at what you wrote. Much slower, LOTS of engine changes (yeah, rubbermount)... and you even tested once...

Maybe you ment: According to specs, the pre 04's should not be as fast as the 04-later bikes.

bobII

5th June 2007, 19:27

Oh no, you didn't offend me... and you are probably right. But take a closer look at what you wrote. Much slower, LOTS of engine changes (yeah, rubbermount)... and you even tested once...

Maybe you ment: According to specs, the pre 04's should not be as fast as the 04-later bikes.

What I wrote was my experience. If I knew the specifics off the top of my head I would have put them in. I'll let you do the research (because it sounds like you haven't), but rubbermounting is the least of the changes between 04 and pre-04 sportsters (although it is the most talked about).

I type like I talk. Its difficult to convey tone, inflection, ect, from typical conversation through a keyboard. Honestly, I'm not trying to be a dick and I know that you aren't either. Sorry for the misunderstanding...

klown

5th June 2007, 19:35

If you guys wanted fast bikes, get a sport bike. These are harley's after all. Just know this, they're fast enough to kill you :smoke

nesene

5th June 2007, 21:21

i don't care much about speed, my point was just to make a comparrison. although i have to say, having that extra power is nice. i would be dissapointed to switch to a slower bike. i love when i fly by my buddies on bigger bikes when we are going up hill.

Kodiak

5th June 2007, 22:12

What I wrote was my experience. If I knew the specifics off the top of my head I would have put them in. I'll let you do the research (because it sounds like you haven't), but rubbermounting is the least of the changes between 04 and pre-04 sportsters (although it is the most talked about).

I type like I talk. Its difficult to convey tone, inflection, ect, from typical conversation through a keyboard. Honestly, I'm not trying to be a dick and I know that you aren't either. Sorry for the misunderstanding...

Ok, ok. Maybe I was offended. Maybe it was the words "much slower" that pissed me off a bit. "Not as fast" would have been easier to swallow. Guess I had a bad day. BTW: I have studied the differences between pre and later '04, and the '04 and later is more powerful.

Anyway, I'm sure you're a nice guy. :)

This is nothing to fight about. Sorry.

Bill2

8th June 2007, 17:15

Here is the information from Motorcyclist magazine.

Available here..http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/performancedata/#harley

And that's right out of the box, do the norm and add a free flowing a/c, 2into1 header, rejet, and tune and you have a big change. With most its called a stage 1 intake/ exhaust mod, the 67.4hp and 72.2tq jumps up to a avg. of 10+hp and tq. Then the 1/4 mile et. and speed also jump down to the high 12's and speed up to 106mph which is a super good for the investment.

twodownzero

21st June 2007, 07:57

What is different about the newer engines besides cylinder heads?

AZbiker

21st June 2007, 20:26

What is different about the newer engines besides cylinder heads?

Single fire ignitions on 04 and newer, FI on 07's.

twodownzero

23rd June 2007, 06:51

Single fire ignitions on 04 and newer, FI on 07's.

So you're telling me that cams, compression ratio, etc., are all the same and that ignition changes and a set of heads are the only changes on 04-06 motors?

chrishajer

23rd June 2007, 07:02

Can we say the 2004+ XLs are much heavier that the solid mounted 2003 and earlier without anyone getting tweaked? I can't believe how heavy the new Sportsters are: I think it's obscene.